The man with 9 lives

My father-in-law came through surgery! This is excellent, heartwarming news. His doctors are stressing that the next few days are "critical" in terms of his overall prognosis. Thus one acute emotional upheaval is past, but now a slow burn begins. Please keep your positive thoughts with us!

In re-reading today's previous post on this subject, I realized that I might have painted Jim in hues that aren't quite true to the man he really is and has been throughout his life. If you at all got the sense of a frail, delicate person-- this is so wrong. If you ever met Jim, I think that "frail" and "delicate" would be two of the furthest things from your mind (and those of you that know him personally may be able to attest to this). While his health has been compromised in recent years, Jim has got to come from some of the hardiest stock on Earth. I'm not kidding. To prove this point, I wanted to write just a cursory list of what he has already survived in his 66 years of life:

1) Orphaned by biological parents before he turned three.

2) Extremely difficult childhood. I'm going to reserve details until I obtain Jim's permission to speak at will.

3) Dyslexia.

4) Stabbed in a bar fight.

5) A week in a Mexican prison (for peeing outside a bar).

6) During his gig as a penitentiary guard, broke up an inmate dispute in which the inmate attempted to use a shiv on him.

7) Heart attack in his early 50s. According to Margaret (his wife) and others, he had flatlined and was technically dead for quite some time (I have no idea how long "quite some time" might be)...and then all of the sudden, he wasn't. He lived to tell about it.

8) Quadruple bypass. Several years later, single bypass. Multiple stints, angioplasties, numerous other procedures (e.g., pacemaker and defibrillator installations).

9) Raising Paula and Jeb. No small feat-- being a parent never is. He is also a frequent caregiver to one or more of his eight grandkids. 

You  just can't make this stuff up. Well, I suppose you could, but I swear that I didn't-- these things all really happened. And this is a mere sampling of the myriad challenges and brushes with death that Jim has overcome. None of us should be surprised that he taking on cancer with both fists.

I hope to write up the story of Jim's life when he well enough to talk through it in detail. In my mind, his story is one that screams, "I am interesting! Write me down!" Jim seemed to think it was a good idea, too. :)

A case of the Mondays

I’ve definitely got a case of the Mondays. For once, though, I feel it is justified. I’m gearing up for what is potentially one of the more intense weeks of my life. Three (big) things are happening: 1) My father-in-law undergoes very serious surgery, 2) I say “farewell” to a few of the dearest friends I’ve ever had, and 3) my 10-year high school reunion. By the time Memorial Day rolls around, I anticipate that I will feel physically and emotionally drained.

 Today’s event is my father-in-law’s surgery. Three weeks ago we found out that he is having a recurrence of cancer. In 2009 he took on colon cancer and, after a painful and lengthy treatment and recovery, beat it. Then a couple of months ago some of his regular lab tests came back looking kind of funny, and after some poking around the doctors found a tumor in his liver. I guess the liver is hard to see well via medical imaging, because today’s surgery is both corrective and exploratory: they will remove as much as the tumor as possible, yet they’re also going to take a look in there and “see what they see” in terms of if the cancer is elsewhere.  As is my nature, I’ve done some research on the topic—via internet and talking with my cancer-savvy nurse-mom—and liver surgery is risky, per sé. What you also need to know about Jim is that he has diabetes and has for more than fifteen years struggled with his heart.  He’s had multiple bypass surgeries and also has a pacemaker AND a defibrillator in there, keeping him going. So today’s surgery is going to be pretty hard on Jim’s body. He’s a fighter if I ever saw one—this guy has an immense will to live. Yet I can’t help but feel worried— for Jim, and as such, for my husband and his/my whole family. Jim is under the knife as I write this. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’d appreciate any prayers and/or positive vibes as we await results.

I will have more to say on the other two events as the week marches on.